Edirne, “city of culture and tourism” welcomed nearly 5 million visitors in 2024

Edirne, a city that attracts visitors with its culture, history, religion, gastronomy, sea, sports tourism, unique architectural works, and festivals, hosted nearly 5 million tourists last year. The city, which carries the traces of Thracian, Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman civilizations, has 1,368 registered cultural assets and 894 examples of civil architecture, making it almost an “open-air museum.”

With landmarks such as the Selimiye Mosque, which is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and other mosques, bridges, inns, and baths, along with the Kırkpınar Oil Wrestling and Hıdırellez-Kakava Festivals, both included in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List, the city’s tourism potential is significantly enhanced.

Located on Turkey’s route to Europe and with four border gates, the city benefits from its geographical location, with thousands of travelers passing through daily. The city is also progressing on its way to becoming a gastronomy tourism hub with its registered delicacies, and it generates tourism revenue from sea tourism activities in the Saros Gulf and sports tourism along the Meriç River.

“Edirne is a city that appeals to different tourist groups.”

Experts believe that Edirne deserves to shine in tourism thanks to its UNESCO sites, cultural heritage values, and natural beauties. They also note that the quality of accommodations and the service sector has improved through investments.

Experts further emphasize that ongoing efforts are aimed at enhancing the quality of tourism and developing projects that will attract even more tourists. It is also noted that “Edirne is one of the most important tourism destinations in our country and the world. It appeals to various tourist groups due to its cultural heritage, historical beauties, natural attractions, and the Saros Gulf. Its border gates also play a crucial role. Edirne is the city that hosts the most visitors coming to Turkey by land from Europe. In 2024, nearly 12 million people passed through the city center, with many of them also engaging in tourism activities.”

The number of tourists visiting the city has been increasing every year, with particular peaks during the UNESCO-listed Kırkpınar Oil Wrestling and Hıdırellez-Kakava Festivals. During these events, the city’s accommodations and activities experience a significant boost. The number of tourists attending these events continues to rise year by year. The Saros region is increasingly appealing to both local and foreign tourists. Looking at accommodation statistics, it is estimated that about 1 million tourists stayed in the city, with a total of around 5 million visitors, including those who stayed overnight and day-trippers.

2024 WAS A FULL YEAR IN TOURISM

The Chairman of the Board of the Edirne Chamber of Commerce and Industry, also stated that 2024 was a productive year for the city’s tourism. He highlighted that the developments in tourism contributed to the local economy and added:

“2024 was a full year. Our tradespeople are happy with the tourists visiting. Every year, we have new festivals and events. Forty years ago, the Kakava-Hıdrelez Festivals were celebrated on a very small scale. Nowadays, they last for two days, and during those days, traffic in Edirne becomes paralyzed as thousands of people visit. In the last two years, the number of tourists attending Kakava is almost equal to the number of visitors to Kırkpınar. Every event held in Edirne contributes significantly to the city’s tourism, and our tradespeople are very happy about it.”